Hampshire police issue warning following large number of attempted vehicle thefts

POLICE have warned residents to be ‘vigilant’ following a number of attempted vehicle thefts around Hampshire.
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In a statement Hampshire police said: ‘It comes after numerous sellers have received a call, or direct message, from people pretending to be ‘buyers’ and requesting an image or a video of the vehicle engine running from the seller.

‘Those pretending to be buyers have then extracted the image metadata – which allows users to see when and where the image or video was taken – allowing the bike to be pinpointed to a specific location. The vehicles are then targeted by criminals and are often stolen or attempts made to steal the vehicles.

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‘We know online buying and selling sites have grown in popularity in recent months, however we want to remind people to please be vigilant when selling items in this way.’

Police have advised to ensure location settings are switched off on your mobile device or camera if you’re then sending images to prospective buyers to would mitigate against the location metadata being extracted and the vehicle located.

They also said if asked for additional images or videos from prospective buyers, upload them directly to your online listing; do not send them directly.

It is not advised to provide you home or work address to buyers; arrange to meet them in a public place or neutral location.

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Any crimes or suspicious activity can be reported online at orlo.uk/We0yJ - or by calling 101.

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